Mangaluru: That super premium liquor brand you always wanted to quaff is now within your reach, thanks to a reduction in excise duty. Some ultra-premium drinks are cheaper by as much as 60%.

As per the new rates, the most-preferred drink in the premium bracket – Johnnie Walker Black Label – that cost about Rs 7,000 earlier sells at Rs 5,000 now. A bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky that sported a tag of Rs 43,000 is now available for Rs 17,000.

This is due to a change in the 17th duty slab which has made premium, imported liquor brands less prohibitive. The price slash is expected to bring in new buyers, said a senior excise official on condition of anonymity. Prices of premium liquor in Karnataka are, perhaps, among the highest in the country.

While tipplers are raring to uncork their favourite poison, vendors aren’t particularly excited since they had purchased cases of premium liquor at high rates. They may have to swallow a loss – or, make less profit on a bottle – until they exhaust the stock.

An event-planner said all vendors have not revised the prices after the excise department’s move, and added that a family in Mangaluru had to settle for a mocktail party as it could not buy the preferred premium liquor for the event.